


I Just Hope You Know.

by cuddlepuss



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Cancer, Dogs, Gen, Long term illness, Minor Character Death, Multi, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-11
Updated: 2015-11-11
Packaged: 2018-05-01 02:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5189246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cuddlepuss/pseuds/cuddlepuss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My Chemical Romance boys volunteer in a cancer hospital to raise awareness of the need for volunteers. The guys get to know one particular patient, and are saddened when she passes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Just Hope You Know.

**Author's Note:**

> My daughter, started this when she came with me to visit the Cardiologist, and didn't want to complete it. Given the nature of the story, and wanting to see it finished, I took it over from her, hoping to not let her down.
> 
> She wrote up to the part 'She looked...', where I commenced. I've put it up on DeviantArt, where it has some pretty good feedback.

"Turn away." the old lady instructed quietly, Frank obliged, not necessarily  
eager to see the strange old lady getting washed and dressed in the morning. Volunteering in the local Cancer hospital wasn't the most glamorous thing in the world, and had never appeared to be, either. Screw their manager for telling them that it would be a good idea in the first place. Give them some experience blah, blah - had he forgotten that none of them had ever had an exactly PAMPERED life in the first place? 

 

The only reason he'd signed into it in the first place was to encourage  
other people to volunteer too. It was alright for Gerard, he had been sent to paediatrics,  
he had lots of kids to play with, even if they were sick.

Ray had been sent to out patients, so he had lots of variety there to  
see. Kids, fractures, all kinds of different things, And Mikey was in the hospitals charity shop, so he had even more variety in the people he'd be seeing. But him? Frank got sent to geriatric oncology. A bunch of old people that didn't quit complaining.... most of them.

This one though, Marie Greenwood, she was different. She was a sweet old  
dear, for sure, and her story really tragic. She married young, to a wife beater, had a son, and the husband beat him too. Husband was eventually arrested for aggravated murder, and sentenced to thirty years to life. Her son was a navy deserter, and drug addict. That left her.

She was slowly dying of Hodgkin's Lymphoma, it wasn't discovered until it was  
to late to do anything, now she was slowly dying, her life in shambles. She'd called for  
Frank this morning, and he didn't known why.

When she finished washing and dressing, she came out from behind the  
curtains to face him. She looked....She looked bloody awful, pale, nearly bald, withered and hunched up, as if the weight of the world were pressing down on her too frail shoulders.

Smiling slightly, she hobbled towards Frank, and, taking his hand in hers,  
asked him to sit with her for a while. Agreeing, he sat her in her bedside chair, before sitting on the edge of the bed, looking interestedly at her, wondering why it was HIM, in particular,that she had wanted to see. Sitting forward in her seat, and holding Frank's hand, she said "Now, Frank dear, I feel I've gotten to know you quite well this past week, while you've been helping out here. I'm afraid I must ask a favour of you. Say no if you want, but I think you could well be the  
best person for this job, and it's so important to me. Will you think about it?"

Confused, Frank said "I can't think about anything, until you tell me  
what it is you'd like me to do. Tell me, if I can do it, I will." Taking a deep, rasping breath, and letting it hiss out with a pained sigh, Marie spoke again  
"Of course dear, so silly of me. It's my dogs, Maxi, my Labrador, and Mini, my miniature black poodle. My sister has them at the moment, but she can't keep them any longer. Please, could you take them in? I can't think of anyone else to  
take them, and you said on Thursday that you loved dogs. Please, can you  
take them in? My niece would have them, but her husband is allergic to pet  
hair, so she can't. Oh please Frank, dear, please take them."

"You'd like me to have your dogs? You mean, temporarily, or permanently?  
I mean, if you let me call my wife, I'm sure I can, either way." Frank was astounded to think  
that in just one week, Marie had come to trust him enough to ask him to take in her dogs, and he did love dogs.

************************************************************************************************

 

Having called Jamia, Frank went back to see Marie, and found that she  
had company. Looking up, Marie saw him coming, and Smiling, she held a weak hand out to him, Saying "Frank dear, I told you about my niece, Kat, she's come to see me, come meet her."

Going forwards, Frank held out a hand "Pleased to meet you, er, Kat, I'm  
Frank, and I've been volunteering on this ward for a week. Your Aunt Marie has asked me to take in her dogs." Turning to Marie, Frank said "Marie, I just phoned my wife, and she said of course we can take the two dogs, for as long as you want us to have them. If needs be, they can stay with us permanently. Don't you worry, I'll, WE'LL, take care of them."

Sighing with relieved pleasure, Marie looked to Kat, who had her hands over  
her mouth, her eyes wide enough open to risk her eyeballs popping out of their  
sockets. Getting up, Kat came around the bed, and, throwing herself at Frank, she stuttered "Th..th..thank y..y..you, F..Frank. I..I..I couldn't believe w..w...w..who Aunt Marie said she had asked to take the dogs in. I know who you are, you see. I love My Chemical Romance's music, especially Revenge era. You're all brilliant."

Blushing slightly, Frank said "I love dogs, my wife know's that. I just can't  
see them with no where to go. My wife knows that too. Thank you, it's good to  
know you like our music, tell me, which is your favourite song?"

Grinning, Kat didn't even hesitate, before saying "Thank you for the venom.  
It saved my life so many times in the past, you have no idea." Frank nodded, and,  
with a small smile asked if she was going to be around later that afternoon.  
Nodding, Kat confirmed that, other than needing to go take the dogs out, she  
was planning on spending the whole day with her Aunt.

That was when Marie piped in with a fantastic idea. Why didn't Kat bring  
the dogs to meet Frank that lunchtime, during their mid day walk. With both  
Kat and Frank nodded, arranging a time and place to meet Kat, and got back  
to work.

******************************************************************************************************

That lunchtime, however, Frank had forgotten something. He was supposed to  
be meeting the band for lunch, the thought of needy dogs had pushed his friends  
clear out of his mind. So when Frank never showed up for lunch with them, but  
had left the ward, Ray, Mikey and Gerard went exploring the hospital grounds,  
looking for him. 

Seeing him with a strange young woman and two dogs, Gerard Yelled "Hey,  
Iero, you blowing us off for three dogs? What's going on?" Frank, looking  
round, was horrified at Gerard's words, and, with a few words to Kat, he  
sprinted over to the guy's for a heated exchange with Gerard, which left  
the older man red-faced, and the other two stunned. Running back to Kat,  
Frank lead her across to the other three men.

Walking over, and giving the singer a well deserved glare, Kat was  
introduced to the band. Frank saying "Kat, the asshole with the red hair  
is, as you know, Gerard, The skinny one there is Mikey, and I guess you  
recognise the hair of Ray here." Kat, shaking hands with both Mikey and  
Ray, turned to Gerard, and, bitchily said "I don't shake paws with just  
anyone." and refused to take Gerard's hand, to the amusement of the other  
three.

Mikey, really unimpressed with his only brother, snapped "If you'd said  
that about me, I'd have bitch slapped you, right across your foul mouth,  
Gerard." Ray , also looking pissed off, said "What's up,Gerard? Are you jealous  
that Frank found some better looking company than you to take his lunch  
break with?" Frank, equally fed up with the lead man's mouth, snapped "If you must  
know, Kat's Aunt Marie is dying of Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and asked me to take  
in the dogs, so when Kat came to visit her, she arranged for Kat to give up  
some of her valuable visiting time to bring them to meet me. Jamia and I  
are going to have them for as long as needed, for life, if needs be. And  
Kat here, is a really big fan of ours, so good going pissing off the public  
when they already have more grief than they need, GEETARD."

 

Suddenly looking extremely weary, Gerard spoke again "I'm SORRY, alright?  
When you didn't show for lunch like you were meant to, we all came looking.  
I guess I didn't think when I saw you with someone else, and those darned  
dogs. You always blow us off in favour of dogs, Frank, and it hurts. Aren't  
I allowed feelings now?" Turning to Kat, he said "I'm sorry. First impressions  
aside, I really do understand what losing someone close feels like. Please,  
shake hands, show you forgive me?" 

Holding out his hand, again, Gerard took a breath, holding it until, with a sigh, Kat took his hand in hers, and shook it.  
Hanging onto his hand, to keep his attention a little longer Kat said "Next time  
you see a friend with a stranger, at a CANCER HOSPITAL, why don't you stop and  
think about what they could fucking well be doing there? My Aunt is days from  
death, I've travelled two thousand miles to visit her, and you insult me on sight. At the risk of sounding unreasonable, can I request you STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME, ASSHOLE"

Ray, coming over to the ever more distraught Kat, took the dog's leashes,  
and handed them to Frank, before slipping an arm around her shoulders, and  
walking away with her, Frank and the dogs following. Mikey, left with his brother, said "Well, and you haven't lost you're touch with the public, have you?" before he, too, walked away.

***************************************************************************************************************

That evening, when men met up for dinner in a restaurant, they were  
discussing the sad case of Marie and Kat, Gerard still being made to feel  
guilty by the other three. Struck with sudden inspiration, Gerard started  
scribbling notes on a napkin.

_'Turn away, if you could get me a drink of water,  
cause my lips are chapped and faded. Call my Aunt Marie.....'_

Peering over Gerard's shoulder, Frank said "You are fucking unbelievable,  
you asshole! Is nothing sacred to you? Can't you leave them in peace now  
you've already upset Kat once?" Mikey, coming over to see what had Frank so fired up all of a sudden, said "Hang on Frank, Gerard, what are you planning to do with this?"

Ray, also coming to investigate, said nothing as they all awaited  
Gerard's answer. Raising a tear stained face to his band mates, Gerard  
took a gasping breath, before saying "I was just thinking, if it were ME  
in Marie's place, would you all care about me, like Kat does her Aunt? I  
mean, travelling TWO THOUSAND MILES, just to be with her as she dies? How  
much must Marie mean to Kat? I want to do something, something for Kat, to  
apologise for being (deep breath) being an asshole to her earlier. But what?  
I know nothing of her. Frank, any idea's?"

Frank, gathering Ray and Mikey to him in a whispering huddle, spoke  
quickly, but quietly, and explained all that he'd learnt of Kat, both  
from her, and from Marie. With much murmured agreement, and nodding of heads,  
Frank turned back to face Gerard. "Yes, WE have an idea. How serious are you  
about this Gerard?"

Swallowing hard, Gerard, frowning, said "I've NEVER been more serious  
about anything. Tell me your idea, we'll make it happen, somehow." Frank,  
with Mikey and Ray joining in, nodded. "I hope you mean that, Gerard, I  
really do. Because Kat was saying this lunchtime how the hospital is desperately  
short of funds, and might have to close. You, Gerard, with us, are going to  
put on a concert, ALL profits going into the hospital coffers. This is one of  
the most important cancer hospitals in the state, we can't just let it close  
when we can help. WE are going to have Kat and her family there as our special  
guests, and you will finish the song .... CANCER that you just started writing,  
proceeds from that, too, can go to the hospital."

Nodding, Gerard seemed pleased to have a plan to work towards, and started  
to make more notes of ideas for this proposed concert. 

*******************************************************************************************************************

Back at the hospital next day, Frank was horrified to learn that Marie was  
much worse than the day before, and not expected to last out the week. Spotting  
Kat, Frank rushed over to envelope her in a bone crushing hug, before rushing  
away to the other departments to see the others. 

Down in the charity shop, Mikey was astounded to see Frank come barrelling in,  
eyes moist, and head straight for him. Babbling, and barely lucid, Frank muttered  
"Mikey, Mikey... Marie, Marie isn'texpectedtoliveouttheweek.Ohgod,  
whatathingtofindout." Then he rushed off, leaving a confused Mikey looking  
bewildered.

Over in out patients, Ray had just had the same experience, and Frank was  
now on his way to the Paediatric ward. Guessing where he was going, Mikey and  
Ray, bumping into each other and comparing notes, took of after Frank, and were  
just in time to catch him as he went to leave an equally bewildered Gerard.  
Taking him by the arm, the three friends lead their ... devastated bandmate to the canteen, and, sitting with strong coffee's, tried to calm him down enough to make sense of what he was muttering.

Finally understanding, the three were stunned, that the old girl should  
have sunk so far so fast... it was mind bending. Suddenly thinking of Kat,  
Ray jumped to his feet and was off, racing up the stairs to the geriatric  
oncology ward, he strode over, and, catching her in a rib crushing embrace,  
he sat with her for half an hour. Talking to her, and to Marie, Ray began  
to see why Frank was in such a state. Marie was a real charmer, and there  
and then, Ray, too, decided to do all he could to support the brave old woman,  
and her devoted niece, through these last, hard day's.

************************************************************************************************************************

Concerned about Ray's sudden departure, Mikey, Gerard and Frank all went  
looking for him. Finding him with Marie and Kat, Mikey and Gerard were  
introduced to the dignified old lady,and they, too, were captivated by her  
gentle dignity, in spite of all the undignified machinery surrounding her.

Going back to their various departments later, each man was struck by  
the ... almost overwhelming need to make this the best damned concert they'd  
ever given.

Meeting up later, each man had idea's for the concert. Mikey, having  
picked up a note book and pen from the shop, started to make notes about  
what they were all thinking about.

Mikey said Gerard should get LynZ to bring in MSI to perform with them.  
Ray said he could call a couple of friends to bring in their bands, and  
Frank offered to get LeATHERMOUTH on board. Gerard, himself, was talking  
about trying to drag ATL, GREEN DAY  
and IRON MAIDEN (for Ray) into the concert too.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Going back to the ward, Frank was devastated to find that Marie had sunk  
even further, now not expected to survive the NIGHT,let alone the week. Making  
a snap decision, He rang Jamia and said he felt he needed to support Kat through  
the night, then explained why. Not happy, but trying to be supportive, Jamia  
gave the go ahead, and Frank went to tell Kat.

When they, in turn, went off voluntary duty, each band member called in  
to see Marie, and were dismayed at the speed she was failing. Going home  
that night, none of them had a good feeling about what morning would bring.

Eventually, at three twenty six am, Marie took one, last, gasping breath,  
and died, with Frank and Kat holding her hands.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Next shift, when they came into the hospital, Gerard, Mikey and Ray  
were perturbed to find both Kat and Frank, in tears, holding hands in the  
hospital cafe, cold coffee's in front of them both.

Guessing what had happened Ray came forward and wrapped a warm arm around  
Kat's cold, bowed shoulders, while Gerard laid a hand on Frank's arm, and  
Mikey went to get a tray of strong, sweet coffee. With her mom ill, it was  
down to Kat to organise  
everything, and deal with the grief of losing her adored Aunt. Telling her  
of their plans for a concert, Gerard now came up with the idea of it's being  
a tribute concert to Marie. Kat, surprised, agreed.

 

The funeral, attended by all of MCR, was a touching send off for Marie, made  
all the more so when Frank announced the tribute concert at the wake.

The concert was a great success, and made thousands for the hospital, which  
didn't close.

THE END.


End file.
